Another role I had historically, was in the development of computer tech in the early 2000s. I worked alongside brands such as Cisco, BT, Microsoft, Intel and others at a national level. It was obvious at that time that technology would one day be where it is now; and so, it’s been inevitable that cycling would one day benefit from it. Look at mobile phones; we’re already tracked, as we are with fitness devices from brands such as Polar and Garmin, to name but two. When necessary, you can be tracked to within a metre quite easily. It may be that ‘big brother is watching you’, but when cycling on your own, or hiking in the wilderness, that can be beneficial.

Getting to the Golden Hour

Ultimately, the ‘Golden Hour’ isn’t an hour – let’s get that myth out of the way. If you get to a person at 40 minutes, their condition will be far worse than if you get to them at 20 minutes – it’s obvious. The golden hour is ultimately – and I will bow to Wikipedia here, as it references it well:

‘In emergency medicine, the golden hour is the period of time immediately after a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical and surgical treatment will prevent death. While initially defined as an hour, the exact time period depends on the nature of the injury and can be more than or less than this duration. It is well established that the person’s chances of survival are greatest if they receive care within a short period of time after a severe injury; however, there is no evidence to suggest that survival rates drop off after 60 minutes. Some have come to use the term to refer to the core principle of rapid intervention in trauma cases, rather than the narrow meaning of a critical one-hour time period.’

Wikipedia, accessed 8th Jan 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_hour_(medicine)

Let Tech Help Guide Your Solo Riding Safety

Ultimately, people who come of their bike in the hills and hit their head or cause significant trauma to their body – externally or internally – need rapid intervention, and that intervention can only be accessed if we know exactly where that person is. That is where technology can help, and that’s why all cyclists need to consider using it on every ride into places such as the Yorkshire Dales and elsewhere. The longer that a person lies there, alone and in trauma, the more likely it is that they will be more difficult to treat. I know that it’s an old technique, but it requires little technology and always helps – tell someone where you’re going, how long you should be and at what time to be worried. It’s not cool to simply trust things to chance – it’s stupid and selfish.